About

Corporate Profile

Pidherney’s Inc is a “one-call”, family-owned and operated service organization that is ready to handle any Oilfield, Civil, or Hauling project. As a large construction company with over 600 employees during peak season, no job is too big or too small! We employ competent and experienced project managers, superintendents and site foreman among many excellent and well-trained operators, office, and ground personal. It is thanks to our dedicated employees that we are able to complete projects within budget and on schedule without sacrificing quality.

Throughout the organization, we continue to invest and reinvest in the resources needed to complete your projects. With an ever-expanding fleet of equipment including excavators, scrapers, dozers, loaders, rock trucks, packers, hydro-vac trucks and a fleet of over 100 gravel and lowbed trucks, we are able to effortlessly complete any job – From Start to Finish! If you would like to view a complete list of equipment we own,CLICK HERE

Prior to launching online marketing in 2018, Merv built his business solely on word of mouth and customer referrals. He’s translated his natural leadership abilities and a keen eye for opportunity into a thriving business that serves major oil/energy companies and numerous municipalities. When a client comes to us with a job request, we do our best to meet their needs; meaning if we don’t already have the resources to complete the job, we are more than happy to acquire them! Check out our Services tab for a complete list of services we offer, and if further information in needed feel free to reach out via call or email.

History

As a farm kid in the 1950’s, Mervyn (Merv) Pidherney would eagerly await Al Tink’s gravel truck to rumble by and pick him up. This was an early indication of things to come! Upon reaching tenth grade, Merv dropped out of school after being told by a teacher that he would never amount to anything. This comment put Merv on a path to building one of Alberta’s top trucking and heavy earthworks construction companies – all starting with one man and one truck. In 1964, with a co-signed loan from his parents and a trade-in of his beloved 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire, 19 year old Merv started his business by hauling gravel in his new single-axle truck. As stated by Merv, “The government rate of pay for a gravel truck at that time was $5.40 per hour. You had to cover your gas and maintenance and pay yourself out of that. I worked hard, finding work and hauling gravel wherever I could. It wasn’t easy.” Fast-forward 50 years and you will find that Merv runs his business today with the same philosophies he started with: there is no job too big or too small, and customer service never sleeps.

In 1967, Merv married Earlyne, who then became a partner in the business. Throughout the years, she has worked by Merv’s side completing administrative tasks and providing loving support. They would later have three sons – Shane, Clint & Troy – who are all involved in the company today, and nine grandkids – six of which are involved in the company as well. The whole family is instrumental in the success of the Pidherney’s enterprise. Merv recounts, “You work lots and lots of hours and you can’t think about yourself…you have to keep investing back into the business…it takes a team effort.”

In the early days of the business, Merv saw that you didn’t need men and equipment to bid on a job. You could bid on the job and then hire the men and equipment to complete the job. In 1969, while working for another company in Rocky Mountain House hauling mud for drilling rigs and gravel whenever he could, Merv bought a second truck and expanded his business. In 1971 M. Pidherney’s Trucking Ltd. was launched. The first big job took until 1974 hauling gravel and sand to build the Husky Ram River gas plant. “I only had two trucks and some other equipment when I said I could get the job done,” he says. “But I was determined to deliver on my promise, so I bought equipment and hired people as I needed to and was able to build my business as I went. This was a four-year job, we worked days at the plant; at night we serviced our equipment, or picked up any work we could find in town for private citizens, construction, or oilfield companies. It was hard and took a lot of juggling, but we made it work,” Merv explains.

The seventies and eighties were good to Pidherney’s as Merv continued to expand his oilfield operations. By 1974, M. Pidherney’s Trucking Ltd. had four trucks, three track loaders, two-rubber tire loaders, and a grader. In 1979, Merv diversified his operations by opening a Ready-Mix plant to provide concrete to Rocky Mountain House and the surrounding areas. The concrete division is still going strong at this address today. In 2014 the plant was replaced with a modern batch-plant system.

Many personal and corporate financial risks were involved in the early days of the company in order to keep purchasing trucks, equipment and gravel pits. As his company grew, Merv took many calculated risks, but was careful not to over-extend his company. “I just had to keep working hard and slow, so that I didn’t get into debt.” This philosophy served him well in the 1980’s when the economy was in a downturn. Pidherney’s was less than 10% financed so Merv was able to purchase equipment when everyone else had to sell. A downturn in one sector was looked at by Merv as an opportunity to diversify, and when asked how he got his company through the downturns he says, “you work a little harder, sweat a little more, your stomach goes round a bit and then you get ‘er done”.

In 1991, in order to allow Pidherney’s to bid competitively on civil and oilfield jobs in Alberta, the company purchased and leased numerous aggregate pits and purchased a crusher. Today Pidherney’s operates three crushers. In 1994, Merv recognized Pidherney’s need to diversify further in order to be viable and continue to grow - thus a civil construction division was formed. In the beginning Pidherney’s did small jobs and repairs of existing infrastructure but as the Pidherney name became recognized as a reputable civil contractor, the company submitted tenders on work for the Province of Alberta and various towns and municipalities throughout Alberta. In 2000 Merv realized he needed a larger location than the 43rd street location he established in Rocky Mountain House in 1977. With no large commercial sites available within the town limits, Merv purchased a quarter section 10km southeast of Rocky Mountain House. The new office had its grand opening in October 2002. In the spring of 2009 a 12-office expansion was completed, as the company was quickly running out of space. Only a few years later in 2012, land was purchased along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway north of Red Deer and in the summer of 2013 the civil division would move into a brand new 12,000 square foot building situated on this site. This site is a two-story building with 43 offices, a large boardroom, training facilities and a gym. The facility is known as Pidherney’s Civil Construction Office.

Merv’s vision is to keep growing and diversifying Pidherney’s. Today, the company employs 600 people at its peak season and runs more than 500 pieces of the most up-to-date equipment, complete with the latest in GPS technology. Pidherney’s has projects across Western Canada and runs multiple divisions including Highway Construction, Water and Sewer, Oilfield Site Construction, Lease Construction and Reclamation Services, Material Transport, Land Development, Contaminated Waste Hauling, Concrete Hauling and Aggregate Sales.

The company is approaching bigger bids than it ever has, with the confidence that it can do the job better and more efficiently than any other company. There is no other privately owned company in Alberta that encompasses and successfully completes so many disciplines of civil and oilfield construction. ``We've never had a down year,” says Merv. “There has always been continuous growth because we are forever adapting and trying new things. We always strive to give our best service. And just for the record, I still love trucks.``

Awards & Achievements

Pidherney’s Inc. is “Driven To Excel, From Start To Finish”. Standing by this moto alongside community involvement, a strong team, diversity, and successful execution of key projects effortlessly put them in a category of excellence. Pidherney’s dedication to their work has been acknowledged through numerous nominations and awards such as:

In The Community

Merv stresses that Pidherney’s is not merely a trucking or construction company. “You’ve got to give back to the community,” says Merv, who has been a strong supporter of the community in which his company works. Pidherney’s is a major sponsor of a local gala fundraiser for the Rocky Mountain House hospital along with supporting the Primary Care Network, Rocky Kinsmen, Bentley Generals, numerous other minor sports teams, music events, multiple community organizations and events as well as individual citizens in need throughout Central Alberta.

Merv has also been a long time supporter of local rodeo and chuckwagon events, including the tarp auction at the Calgary Stampede from 2009-2012, the Daines Pro Rodeo in Innisfail, and the Ponoka Stampede from 2014-present. Pidherney’s has had the opportunity to sponsor chuck wagon racer Buddy Bensmiller, Kurt Bensmiller, Roger Moore, and John Walters; pony chuck racers Ray Adamson and Cole Adamson; and bronco rider Jim Berry.

Pidherney’s also regularly donates both equipment and manpower to complete local projects for causes such as the Ronald McDonald House in Red Deer and the Penhold Multiplex. Most notably, Pidherney’s was the major sponsor for the Red Deer Curling Centre, which was recently renamed the Pidherney Centre in April 2013. The facility underwent $8.8 million worth of renovations, expanding it from 8 to 12 ice sheets and including a 350-seat lounge, meeting rooms and much more. Merv and his wife Earlyne were elated to have the opportunity to give back to the City of Red Deer where Pidherney’s does much of its municipal construction work.

Pidherney’s takes great pride in supporting many worthwhile organizations throughout Central Alberta and will continue to support many more for years to come!

Pidherney’s is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the 2019 Canada Winter Games! This year, the games will take place in Red Deer, Alberta and will include 16 Sports at 12 Venues throughout the city – including our very own Pidherney Centre where Curling will be held! This will be the largest event Red Deer has ever hosted and is the largest event in Alberta since the Calgary Olympics in 1988! For this, the 2019 Winter Games is sure to leave a lasting impact on our city, citizens, games athletes and sponsors, and our province as a whole. Below is a list of all Torch Relay and Event Stops alongside Sport Events and Venues; with locations we will be attending in blue.

Torch Relay Stops:

Ottawa, ON—Oct 4

Halifax, NS—Oct 9

Montreal, QC—Oct 11

Niagra Region, ON—Oct 20

London, ON—Oct 23

Thunder Bay, ON—Oct 25

Winnipeg, MB—Nov 1

Regina, SK—Nov 6

Saskatoon, SK—Nov 10

Victoria, BC—Nov 21

Kelowna, BC—Nov 30

Price George, BC—Dec 8

Grande Prairie, AB—Jan 5

Edmonton, AB—Jan 8

Lloydminister, AB—Jan 9

Medicine Hat, AB—Jan 12

Lethbridge, AB—Jan 16

Calgary, AB—Jan 18

Rimbey, AB—Jan 23

Leduc, AB—Jan 25

Blackfalds, AB—Jan 29

Olds, AB—Jan 31

Lacombe, AB—Feb 2

Sylvan Lake, AB—Feb 5

Ponoka, AB—Feb 7

Red Deer, AB—Feb 15

Torch Event Stops:

Markham, ON—Oct 12

Toronto, ON—Oct 12

Kenora, ON—Oct 30

Portage la Prairie, MB—Nov 2

Brandon, MB—Nov 2

Humboldt, SK—Nov 8

Prince Albert, SK—Nov 8

Surry, BC—Nov 23

Abbotsford, BC—Nov 27

Chilliwack, BC—Nov 27

Vernon, BC—Dec 4

Kamloops, BC—Dec 5

Vegreville, AB—Jan 9

Stettler, AB—Jan 10

Drumheller, AB—Jan 11

Tabor, AB—Jan 15

Kananaskis, AB—Jan 21

Airdrie, AB—Jan 22

RMH, AB—Jan 24

Wetaskiwin, AB—Jan 26

Maskwacis, AB—Jan 26

Innisfail, AB—Jan 30

Sports Events:

Alpine & Para Alpine

Archery

Artistic Gymnastics

Badminton

Biathlon

Boxing

Cross Country Skiing

Curling

Figure Skating

Freestyle Skiing

Hockey

Judo

Squash

Synchronized Swimming

Table Tennis

Trampoline

Wheelchair Basketball

Sports Venues:

Canyon Ski Resort

Collicutt Centre

Downtown Arena

Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

Great Chief Park

Kinex Arena

Nakiska Ski Resort

Pidherney Centre

River Bend Gold & Recreation Area

Sport Centre

Westerner Park

Winsport’s Canada Olympic Park

As an Oilfield and Civil Construction company, we have chosen to sponsor the Safety portion of the Torch Relay that will happen all across Canada – beginning on October 4th in Ottawa, Ontario and ending on February 15th in Red Deer, Alberta. We will be attending all 14 stops within Alberta to guide the torch and ensure that all safety measures are completed alongside Canada Winter Games coordinators and RCMP assistance. If you would like to stay up-to-date on the 2019 Games, we encourage you to follow the 2019 Canada Winter Games social media as well as our company social media pages – each linked below.